Telephone-exchange system.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 8129,1916.

Patented Oct 9,191?

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. P. CLAUSIAEN.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1916.

1,242,655 Patented 0m. 9,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ticularly to subscribers provide p an sra'rns HENRY P. GLAUSEN, 0E MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY P. GLAUSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Exchange Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, Concise, and exact description. I 1

This invention relates to improvements in telephone exchange systems, and more para system for relieving a telephone switchboard operator of certain speaking processes in the answering and handling of telephone calls.

The principal object of this invention is to an automatic speaking means, as a telegraphone or a phonograph adapted to meet a calling subscriber at the proper moment with a query ,number please or an equivalent phrase, also for speaking other phases ordinarily required to be spoken by an operator in the course of the regular work at a telephone switchboard.

In accordance with this invention, talking machines included with the equipment of a telephone switchboard are adapted to be connected with a link-circuit for a predetermined interval of time, immediately in advance of the instant an operators telephone set will be included with the same llnk circuit, all in an automatic manner and following the inclusion of a linkclrcuit with a line for thepurpose of answer- Thetalking machine, in number please the calling sub-.

ing a call thereon. this case, speaks the phrase which will be heard by scriber. By a system of properly timed circuit controlling mechanisms, as plain and retarded relays, the operators telephone set is connected to a link circuit at an instant to slightly overlap the latter part of a mechanically spoken phrase, in order that the operator may know that such phrase has been spoken to the calling subscriber, and accordingly, the operator merely listens to receive the number of the subscriber wanted.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents diagrammatically two subscribers llIlG CII'CHItS terminating on a switchboard POSltlOIl provided with equipment suitable for connecting subscribers lines for communication, and also talking machine apparatus suitable for carrying out the present. embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 illustrates in a sum- Specification of Letters Patent.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

Patented Oct. a, 1917..

Application filed February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,201.

" lar manner additional circuits at the same switchboard position. The, respective circuit relation of the apparatus in Fig. land Fig. 2 will be apparent when the sheets one and two of the drawings are placed side by side in'inumerical order. In Fig; 1, that portion of the equipment common to a plurality of link circuits" at the switchboard position is, for the sake of clearness, shown to the right of a dotted dividing line.

In the present embodiment of this invention, a plurality of link circuits at a switchboard position are provided with a relay common to the position, which makes it possible for an operator to include a second link circuit to answer another subscribers line during the time the answering of a first subscribers line is taking place by means of another link circuit. Automatic relay ac; tion takes place when the connection of the first subscriber is completed, thereby disconnecting the operators telephone set from that link circuit, and connecting it to the second link circuit on which the other subscriber is waiting to be answered. By means of a second relay, also common to the position, a talking machine is adapted to be connected to the waiting link circuit on the instant that a ringing key or button on the calling end of the first connection is depressed. During the time required by suitably conditioned relays in transferring the connection of the operators telephone set' from the first to the second link circuit, and

in disabling the circuit of the talking maafter the speaking of this phrase has been completed, the automatic speaking means is disconnected, leaving the operator free to hear the request of the calling subscriber. Manually operated keys are also employed to control talking machine circuits, adapted to be connected atthe proper time to speak the answering phrase above mentioned, also other phrases, as, I am ringing your party, your party{ does not answer, operator, what number are you calling, please, deposit a (certain) coin in the slot, please, etc. An automatic circuit interrupting means also provides that the supervisory signal of a link circuit, waiting inthe answering position on a subscribers line, and a pilot signal will be flashed in a character'- istic manner during the waiting period. Similar flashing also takes place in case the originating subscriber on a completedv connection may attempt toattract the attention of the operator, as in making a recall.

In more specifically describing the opera tion of this system, the processes necessary in the handling of a connection between the stations A and B, in which it will be assumed that the call originates at the station A, will be traced, and during the time an operator at. the switch board position E is answering this call, it will be further assumed that a second call is received from a subscribersstation C in a desire to secure a connection, say, with a subscribers station D. It will be understood that subscriber line equipment similar to that shown at A and B is present with the switchboard jacks at the locations C and D,tresp.ectively.

On the'origination of the call at the sta-' tionA, a line lamp signal 3 will be displayed, whereupon an operator at theposition E inserts a plug at of a link circuit 1 in a jack 5 of the line circuit. A. Talking battery through a double wound supervisory relay 6 is thereby suppliedto the main conductors of the linkcircuit 1, thence over the tip and ring contacts of the plug 1 and the jack 5 to the line circuit A. for the subscribers instrument thereon. A cut-ofi' relay 10 for disconnecting the line relay 11 of the line A, to thereby extinguish the line lamp 3, is operated by battery current supplied over the sleeve or signal circuit contacts of the plug 4 and the j ack'o from a branch circuit, one limb of which may be traced through the grounded battery, the contacts 13 of a relay 12, contacts 17 of a common or masterjrelay 16,the winding of a listening relay 20, thence tothe sleeve contact of the jack 5. The second limb of this branching circuit extends through the battery, contacts 27 of the relay 26, contacts 8 of the relay 6, a resistance unit 32, thence to form a junction at the sleeve contact of the plug 4: with the circuit limb first traced. In this position, the supervisory relay 6, cut-pd relay 10, master re'lay'16, and the listening relay 20 are all retained operated anda supervisory lamp 31 is extinguished, due to its beingv shunted by the circuit through the" contacts 80f the relay 6 and the contacts 27 of the relay 26. The energizing circuit of the relay '16 is completed through the con tacts 22 of'the relay 20. Ihe operators telephone set, -33, now connected to the main conductors of the link circuit 1 through the bus conductors 31 and 35, and the contacts 2-1. and 25 of the listening relay 20, permits the operator'to talk with the subscriber at A. Let it be assumed further that at this instant, or during the time the plug 4 was being inserted in the jack 5, a call is also received from a subscriber assumed to be "mediate or looking position.

owing to the separation of the contacts 18 of the master relay 16. The operators set 33 is accordingly not included with the link circuit 2, but remains connected with the first link circuit 1. On the operator being informed from the station A that a connection is desired with the station B, the calling plug 36 of the link circuit 1 is inserted in the jack 3'? of the line B. Thereupon, current from the battery through the supervisory lamp 38, the contacts 11 of the supervisory relay 10, which short-circuit a resistance unit 39, completes a circuit over the sleeve or signal circuit contacts of the plug 36 and the jack 37, thereby lighting the lamp 38 and operating a cut-off relay 13 as sociated with the line B. The relay 12, ineluded through the serially connected con tacts 106and 109 of keys 105 and 108, respectively, in parallel with the lamp 38 is also operated; the lamp 38. is not extinguished, however, as the winding of the relay 12 is of relatively high resistance. A push-button t pe' ringing key 14: when fully depressed, w ich position is non-locking, acts on the plate 46 to close the contacts 47 and l8, in addition to closing the contacts 1-9 and 50. When pressure is removed from the plunger 4A, it is moved by a retractile spring (not shown) to an intermediate position at which it is suitably engaged and held locked by the plate 46. In this position the contacts 49....and '50 are retained closed while the contacts -17 and 18 remain open. Therefore, immediately following the insertion of the plug 36 in the jack 3?, the operator momentarily depresses the ringing key plunger M to its lowest position. This re-, sults in initially operating a ringing relay 51 of the link circuit 1 over a path formed through the battery, contacts 9 of the supervisory relay 6, the winding of the relay 51, and the contacts 4:? of the ringing kev to earth. The contacts 56 of the relay 51 close a locking circuit, which further extends through the contacts of a trip relay 57, in substitution of the contacts 47 of the ringing key, thereby retaining the relay 51 energized after the contacts 17 are separated on the plunger 4-1 being released to the inter- Ringing current from a grounded source, indicated by a plus and minus sign, now completes circuit through the contacts 50 of the ringing key,

a the winding of the trip relay 57, contacts 54 of the relay 51, thence, over the connection to the substation bell at B, returning over the contacts 53'of the relay 51 and the contacts 49 of the ringingkey 44, to earth. lVhen this calling signal is answered by the removalof the telephone receiver from its switch hook at the station B, the reduced resistance of theline circuit loop due to the telephone set being in the talking position thereon allows an increase in the ringing current quantity through this circuit, thereby operating the trip relay 57, whereupon the momentary separation of its contacts results in deenergizing the ringing relay 51.

The talking conductors of the 'linkcircuit' sistance unit 39 for this lamp, as efi'ected by the separation of the contacts 41 and the closing of the contacts 42 of the relay 40.

Returning to the instant the ringing key 44 was fully depressed in initiating the ringing operation on the line B, the contacts 48, closed by this key, effect through a .bus conductor 64 the operation of a relay 58, the contacts 59 and 60 of which connect the speaking circuit of a talking machine 63 to the common or bus conductors 61 and 62. The bus conductors in turnconnect through the contacts 71 and 72 of a relay to the main conductors of the link circuit 2. The relay 58 is adapted to release slowly and is so timed in this respect that the talking machine 63 will only be included with the link circuit 2, a sufiicient time for speaking the phrase number please, which will be heard by the-party waiting to be answered at C. The operation of the relay12 which took place at the time the plug 36 was inserted in the jack 37 disconnects, by the separation of its contacts 14 and 15, the bus conductors 61v and 62 of the talking machine fromthe link circuit 1. The separation of' the contacts 13 of the relay 12 disconnects the holding circuit of the listening relay 20, which thereupon restores to disconnect the -operators telephone'set 33 at the contacts 24 and 25, from the link circuit 1, alsoto disconnect the master relay 16 at the contacts 22, and

throughthe' contacts 21, prepares a circuit for the flashing control relay 26, the operation of which-will presently be described. The releasing of the relay 16 completes a circuit from the battery through the conwith the resistance 88. After being initially-- operated over the circuit just traced, the relay 76 is self-locked over its own contacts 79, now substituted for the contacts 18 of the master relay 16, which operated in response to the connecting of battery to the bus conductor. through the contacts 78 of the relay 76, and the closing of the contacts 80 and 81 of the latter relay connects the bus conductors 34 and 35 to include the operators telephone set 33 with the link cir-,

cuit 2. During the time the relay actions are taking place, due to the inclusion of the calling end'of'the link circuit 1 with the line B, and to the momentary depression of the plunger 44 of the ringing key, as just described, the talking machine 63 will have been connected with and spoken the answering phrase to the calling subscriber at C, in

the manner described. The relay 58 is provided with a copper secondary, as 'shown, for the purpose of delaying its'release until thetalking ,machine will have completed speaking the desired phrase. (It will be understood that a dash-pot relay or other suitably retarded circuit controlling device may be employed iftnecessary to permit the speaking of phrases of greater length.) Without the necessity of speaking, the operator accordingly receives from the party at C the number, of the subscribers line wanted, which in'this case, as assumed, is that "of-the subscribers line D. A calling plug 95 is then inserted in the jack 96, which, as mentioned, may be considered to represent a completely equipped line similar to that shown at B; The relay'action taking, place from this connection corresponds with those already described when the link circuit 1 was included with the line B. For the link circuit 2 the relay 7O acts'through the separation of its contacts 73 to disconnect the listening relay, 76, which in turn disconnects the master relay 16, the bus conductors of the talking machine 63, being disconnected by the separation of the contacts 71 and 72 of the relay 70. A ringing key 98 isused to operate a relay 100 and to set up circuit connections for applying ringing current to the line D, in a manner similar 'to that described for the corresponding operation of the key '44 on the connection at the line B. This ringing operation also closes the contacts 65 to reoperate the relay 58 for including the talking machine 63 with another link circuit which may havev -been connected for answering a third subscribers line.

During the time the stations A and B are joined through the link circuit 1, the relays 6, 10, 12, 43 and 40 are energized, and corresponding relays 89, 94, 70, 97 and 99 are retained energized by the link circuit 2 over which the lines C and D are joined. The condensers shown in each of the main conductors of the link circuits 1 and 2 are for the well-known purpose of separating the battery current supply with respect to the answering and calling end of the link circuits.

Tn order to describe the operations by which the supervisory signal and a pilot signal are flashed during the time a second call is waiting to be answered, let it be assumed that the connections described have only progressed to the stage at which the answering ends of the link circuits 1 and 2 are included with the line circuits A and C, respectively, the relays 6, 10, 16 and 20 standing operated for the A party, and the relays 89 and 0% held operated for the C party. The listening relay 76 of the link circuit 2 being inert, its contacts 77 close battery current through the winding of a flashing control relay 82, its contacts 85, the contacts 90 of the supervisory relay 89, thence over the sleeve contacts of the plug 92 and the jack 93, to earth, through the winding of the cut-ofi' relay 94. The circuit just traced is only present-momentarily during the difference in time between the closing of the sleeve contacts at the plug 92 and the jack 93, and before the engagement of the tip and ring members thereof, to complete the circuit of'the niain conductors of the link circuit to the line loop C. This results in delaying the operation of the supervisory relay 89 until the plug 92 is fully seated in the jack 93. An impulse of current, over thesleeve circuit traced, initially operates the relay 82, following which, its contacts 86 close circuit in advance of the separation of its contacts 85, thereby establishing the relay 82 in parallel with the lamp 8?. The

.- closing of the contacts 8% of the relay 82 separates its contacts 83, thereby discon-,

necting direct battery from the contacts 91 of the supervisory relay 89, and substituting therefor, battery supplied through an interrupter 101, by Wayof a bus conductor 69 and a low resistance pilot-signal relay 102. The supervisory relay 89 finally operated, removes a short circuit by the separation of its contacts 90, from around the resistance unit 88 and on the closing of the contacts 91, of this relay the series formed by the pilot relay 102 andthe interrupter 101 is connected in parallel with the supervisory lamp 87. During each instant the battery circuit is opened at the interrupter. 101, the lamp 8'? is lighted, and the relay 102 being inert at such times, a pilot lamp 103 is extinguished. When the circuit is closed through the interrupter 101-, the lamp 87 is extinguished,

due to its being bridged by the loW resisterate the listening relay 76 of the link circuit 2, and by the separation ot'its contacts 77, releases the flashing control relay 82. The separation of thecontacts 8 1 and the closing of the contacts 83 of the relay .82, respectively, disconnect the circuit from battery through the interrupter 101 and the relay 102, and substitutes therefor direct,

battery to the contacts 91 of the supervisory relay 89, thereby shunting and extinguishing the supervisory lamp 87.

In order to describe the operations which take place in flashing a supervisory lamp and l a pilot lamp, in response to a recall set up by a subscriber who may have originated a call under'connecticn', let it be assumed that during the time the connection is-present, as described, betweenthe stations A and B, that the receiver is momentarily restored to its switch hook at the-station-A. The resulting momentary release of the supervisory relay 6, and the: correspondingsepara- 'tion of its contacts 8, disconnects the battery shunt around the relay 26, which relay thereupon operates through a circuit from battery, the contacts 21 ot'the re'la 20, its own contacts 29 and the contacts relay 6. The separation'ot'. thecontacts 27 of the relay 26 disconnects thjeibattery supply from the contacts-8 of the relay 6, and the closing of the contacts-I28 of'therelay 26 substitutes a battery supplyfthrough the in terrupter 101 and the pilot-control relay 102. The supervisory lamp .31 and-the pilot lamp 103 will accordingly be flashed by the of the operation of the interrupter 101 in a manner similar to that described for the flashing operations for the waiting connection on the link circuit 2. In order to answer this recall, the operator may either remove the calling plug.36 from the jack 3'2, or depresses a proper phase kcy'as 105 or-108, whereupon the relay 12, releases and the closing of its contacts 'l3 initially operates the listening relay 20, which in turn operates the master relay 16 thereby-including the operators telephone set 33 with the link circuit, 1, and also guarding the telephone set against improper inclusion with another link circuit. Separationot the contacts 21 of'the relay 20 deenergizes the flashing control relay 26, the contacts- 28 and 27 of which respectively disconnect the interrupter 101 and the relay 102, substituting therefor direct battery to the contacts 8 of cally described as follows:

When answering a call the operator may momentarily depress a non-locking key 104,

connected from the bus conductor 64 in parallel with the contacts 48 of the ringing keys,

to operate therelay 58, and thereby include the talking machine 63 with the link circuit used for the purpose described in answering the call. By means of a manually operated key 105, a second talking machine may be included with a link circuit at the time two lines are joined thereby. This may be illustrated by assuming'that the lines A and B are joined through the link circuit 1, as al-- ready described. By depressing, say, the key 105, its contacts 106 permit the relay'l2 to release, and the closing of its contacts 13 causes the operation of the listening relay 20, While the contacts 14 and 15 connect thebus conductors 61 and 62 with the link circuit 1. N ow, assuming that a secondtalking machine, similar to 63, provided with a relay corresponding with the relay 58 is connected to the conductor 107 of the key 105, for including the speaking circuit of the second talking machine with the bus conductors 61 and 62, it will be apparent that a phrase spoken by the second talking machine would be heard on the connected circuits.-' This talking machine and its associated relay are diagrammatically illustrated by the dotted rectangle 111. At this time the phrase may be I am ringing your party. A third key 108, if depressed, may, through the separation of its contacts 109, and the control of a third talking machine equipment diagrammatically illustrated by the dotted rectangle 112, also similar to that shown at 58 and 63, over the conductor 110, cause another phrase to be spoken on the connection, say, Your party does not answer. In this manner, by the employment of a plurality of talking machines, this system may be extended to 'includepractically all of the routine phrases otherwise required to be spoken by an operator, or for sayin the line you are calling is busy. To furt er economize an operators time, slow releasing relays similar to the relay 58'may be placed under control of the .keys 105 and 108, thereby only necessitating for the speaking of the desired phrase.

With regard to theadvantages of this sys-.

term, it will be mentioned that during the time phrases are being automatically s oken,

an operator may devoteherattentmn to other operating matters, such as completing other connections, removing such connections, making out any necessary tickets, etc. A considerable gain in general operating.

'eificienoy is also possible with this system due to the uniformity, distinctness of enun- "ciation, and correctness of inflection present with the automatically spoken phrases.

Referring to the ringing keys shown in this system, it will be understood that the plungers 44 and 45, grouped as shown, provide for individual ringing .on two party lines whereon eachbell is connected from a respective one of the line conductors to earth. It Will be understood, however, that additional ringing key plungers similar to 44 and 45 may be included in these groups, v

I or motor means.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, link circuits adapted for connection with said subscribers lines, an operators telephone set, means for associating said set with said link circuits, a speech reproducing device adapted'to request information from the calling subscriber, and means independent of such telephone-set associating means and selectively controlled by the operator for assoeiating said speech reproducing device with said link circuits.

2. In a telephone exchange system, sub- 'scribers lines, link circuits for interconnectingsaid subscribers lines, an operators telephone set, means for automatically including said operators set with said link circuits, a talking machine, andineans for automatically including said talking machine with a link circuit in advance of and in a manner to overlap the moment at which the operators set will be included with the link circuit.

3. In a telephone exchange system, subscribers lines, link circuits for interconnecting said subscribers lines, an operators "telephone set adapted to be included with said link circuits, a plurality of talking machines, means for selectively including said talking machines to speak onsaid link circuits, and switching means for automaticallyincluding a certain one of said talk- I ing machines with a link circuit when the link circuit is jointed to only one of said subscribers lines. I

4. In a' telephone exchange system, subscribers lines, link circuits for interconnecting said lines, signals and pilot signals for said link circuits, means for automatically flashing said signals, an operators telephone set, means for automatically including said operators set with said link circuits, means to prevent the inclusion of said operators set with more than one of said link circuits at the same time, a talking machine, and means adapted to automatically include said talking machine with a link circuit in advance and overlapping phase with the inclu sion of the operators telephone set with the same link circuit.

6. in a telephone exchange system, subscribers lines, link circuits for interconnecting said lines, an operators telephone set, automatic switching means adapted to include said operators set with a first used link circuit and to exclude said telephone set from a secondly used link circuit, a talking machine; and automatic switching means adapted to exclude said telephone set from the first used link circuit and include said talking machine with said secondly used link circuit, for a predetermined eriod, and to include said operators telep one set with the secondly used link circuit to overlap the period during which the talking machine is included with the secondly used link circuit. 7. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of subscribers lines, a plurality of link circuits for interconnecting said subscribers lines, an operator s telephone set,

automatic switching means adapted to in clude said operators set with the link circuits, automatic switching means for preventing the inclusion of said operators set messes with more than one of said link circuits at the same time, a talking machine, and means controlled by said automatic switching means adapted to include said talking machine with a link circuit for a predetermined interval of time.

8. In a telephone exchange system, subscribers lines, link circuits for interconnecting said subscribers lines, an operators telephone set, means for automatically including said operators telephone set with a link circuit used to answer a calling subscriber, means for automatically preventing the inclusion of said operators set with another link circuit connected to answer a second subscribers line during the time the operators telephone set is included with said link circuit used to answer the first mentioned subscribers line, a talking machine, and switching means adapted to automatically include said talking machine with said second subscribers line immediately following the completion of a connection for said first subscribers line.

9. A telephone exchange system comprising telephone lines, a link circuit for interconnecting the lines, an operators telephone set, means responsive to the connection of the link circuit with one of the lines as a calling line to connect therewith the operators telephone set, a second link circuit connected with another line as a calling line,

a talking machine, a ringing key associated with the first of said link circuits for use in signaling a called line, means actuated upon the operation of said ringing key af- HENRY P. CLAUSEN. 

